Naidu lashes out at Chidambaram, questions Congress' role in Kashmir

New Delhi, July 21 (ANI): Targeting former union home minister P. Chidambaram, Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday questioned the role of the Congress Party-led UPA government with regard to the situation in the Kashmir Valley. Accusing the Congress Party and Chidambaram specifically of indulging in 'cheap politics' by blaming the incumbent NDA regime for the prevailing law and order situation in the Valley, Naidu said, "The Congress leader and former home minister Chidambaram said India should assure the people of Kashmir that the grand bargain promise during the time of Kashmir's accession would be honoured. Then what is it that your government has done from Nehru ji to recent Sonia ji government.what is it you have done? You are a home minister." Naidu further alleged that the Congress is even ready to compromise on the security of India. "What were the Congress successive governments doing all these years? He (Chidambaram) says he couldn't convince the defence minister (A.K. Anthony) to push forward a proposal for withdrawal of the AFSPA (Armed Forces (Special Powers) Acts) from parts of Jammu-Kashmir. Now, he understands after coming out of power," he added. Naidu further said that Chidambaram had seen the statement where it was written that Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani wanted to meet Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Hafiz Sayeed. "Hafiz Sayeed claimed that Burhan Wani spoke to him and told him that his last wish was to talk to him. Whether we can take it on its face value or not, that's a different matter," he added. Naidu firmly stated that sympathizing with terrorists who want to break India is not acceptable at all. "So, the people who are trying to express sympathies, and also writing columns they should understand the public sentiment of the country," he said. Chidambaram yesterday advocated restoring the 'grand bargain' under which Kashmir had acceded to India by granting a large degree of autonomy, warning that otherwise the country will have to pay a 'heavy price'. In an interview with an English news channel, Chidambaram had yesterday said India have ignored the grand bargain under which Kashmir acceded to India, adding that he thought India broke faith, promises and as a result it has have paid a heavy price. The senior Congress leader said the best solution, according to him, was that India should give an assurance to the people of Kashmir that the 'grand bargain' promised during the time of Kashmir's accession 'will be honoured fully'. Chidambaram said the situation in Kashmir has been mishandled by successive governments in Srinagar and New Delhi. Asserting that Kashmir required a unique political solution, Chidambaram blamed the ruling PDP-BJP alliance for the present crisis saying the alliance should have never come to power. (ANI)